JANUARY'S LAST DAY

It's the last day of January and to complement the day we experienced a nice January thaw.  Temperatures near 40 degrees, with bits of blue sky and sunshine this afternoon, made it grand, and a remarkable sunset with pinks, oranges, and purples, topped it off.

A Wisconsin January thaw, back in the old days, was both welcome and necessary for one's sanity.  Years ago when wintertime was harsh, often filled with Alberta Clippers, three foot snowfalls, and the need to put charcoal under the car engine to get it started, a January thaw was great medicine for cabin fever.   It also gave us hope for spring.  Today we kind of take January thaws for granted. 

On a short walk this afternoon across Tom's Creek, and over wintergreen hill, I observed four gray squirrels chasing each other up and down the towering aspen and maple trees.  I think they were in the nesting notion.   A few insects were out and about; one that reminds me of a large sluggish mosquito, and snow fleas, springing about atop the melting snow, in their glory.

I could hear water trickling under areas of shallow ice as it wiggled its way down the creek.  I noticed my own melted tracks on the creek bed from yesterday's walk.  Two weeks ago this same path was filled with timber wolf tracks, one week ago deer tracks, and this weekend, just my own.   The turquoise blue sky reflected its colors onto the new standing water atop the creek ice.

There are only two days until the ground hog reveals to us his weather prediction, but either way he'll be causing us to start thinking and talking about spring.  I think we'll make it through the winter!